The following article is part of an interview with Kajitsuka
Sensei,
who is the Secretary General of the Nihon Kobudo Shinkokai (the
Society for the Promotion of Japanese Classical Martial Arts and
Ways) (日本古武道振興会
),
the oldest national association of the classical styles of Japanese
budo and bujutsu (koryu) in Japan.

In this
third and final part, Kajitsuka Sensei discusses about the purposes,
goals, and theory of budo associations in general.

Question:
In your opinion, what is the purpose of (budo) associations?

Sensei:
Yes, that’s an interesting question. I cannot speak for all
associations in general but as regards our kobudo association, I
believe we have an important purpose. Kobudo is not purely about
fighting and combat only. Yes, the arts that our members practice are
combat arts and so naturally there is a focus on combat, on fighting.
But Kobudo also includes the wisdom of how to live; how to live as a
person, as a human being. If we think in terms of a single style,
this is ultimately what the founder of that specific style learned
under the risk of his life on a battlefield. Therefore I think that
Kobudo is a precious property of not only Japan but also of all human
beings, no matter what nationality they are.

I think
that this is one of the missions of our association: to have the
people of the world know about it. At the same time, we want to have
many Japanese people know about these Kobudo too. I think generally
speaking, that this is the purpose of any association in general;
namely, to have people know and understand about their particular
interest.

Question:
What do you think are the benefits of association? (e.g., pooling
resources)

Sensei:
We, as in the association, can offer a place where each ryuha can
exchange skills, opinions, and so on with each other. In addition, we
can become united in our efforts and can present one common interest
to appeal to the world. I think that it is one of the benefits of
association.

Question:
What do you see as the dangers (or pitfalls) of associations? (e.g.,
divisive politics, cliques)

Sensei:
There is a possibility that some politicians use an association for
other purposes.

There is a
possibility that one person with a specific thought* could rule over
an association.

In such a
case, the association’s activities would be guided by the
political agenda of that leader.

(*
a person with an agenda)

Question:
How do you think associations fall apart or disintegrate? What do you
think are some common causes?

Sensei: In
the case of kobudo, each ryuha has been protecting its own unique
tradition and interests for several hundred years. Therefore, it is
not unreasonable that they are very self-respecting. In other words,
they are proud of what they do and who they are. It is natural to
feel this way. However, the danger is that it is easy to become
exclusive. By this, I mean that there is the possibility that they do
not recognize other ryuha.* There is also the danger that they will
slander each other. If this happens, the association will not be
unified. Of course, this would be the worst case scenario.

(*
There is the possibility that schools become so insular, paying
attention only to what they do, that they become overly proud of
themselves and recognize no one else. And as a consequence, they will
eventually come to slander other groups.)

Question:
What do you think is necessary for an association to succeed and to
grow?

Sensei:
First of all, it is important to deepen the exchange between schools.
Each ryuha is founded under the influence of other ryuha. What I mean
is that each ryuha does not come into being in a vacuum. They are
influenced by, and also in their turn influence other ryuha. They are
all inter-connected with each other in many ways.

You can
understand your ryuha in a deep way by studying not only your own
ryuha, but also other ryuha as well. But this is only possible
through the interchange and exchange between the various ryuha.

In
addition, through the interchange between the ryuha, I hope that all
kobudo practitioners will come to see that all martial arts have a
common root and in the end, they all have the same purpose. If we can
achieve this kind of understanding, we can become more united and
ultimately, we will be able to achieve greater things. This is what I
think.

Question:
As Secretary General, what do you want to achieve in your term in
office?

Sensei:
The activity of the association is mainly to hold enbukai now. In
our current situation, we don't have the means to appeal to a wider
audience besides our enbukai. So, first, I would like to establish
the means for doing so. By this, I mean that we need to keep current
with what is happening in the world. Since a lot of information is
now exchanged electronically, we need to create a website for our
association so that we can provide information about ourselves to the
world.

Question:
Thank you Sensei for this interview. It truly was a great honour for
us to talk with you about your association.

A
Special 2-Day Intensive Seminar In

Yagyu
Shinkage Ryu Kenjutsu

July
15 & 16, 2012

With

Yasushi Kajitsuka Sensei

from
Tochigi, Japan

Don’t miss this
once-in-a-lifetime chance to spend some quality time with one of the
great masters of Japanese classical martial arts. Attendance is
limited to 20 people. For more information, visit: www.tokumeikan.org